Embodiments of the invention relate generally to an electric power grid and more specifically to a system and method for transmitting electric power.
The basic structure of an electric power system comprises various hardware elements such as generators, transformers, power lines, and real-time monitoring equipment, as well as software such as power flow analysis software, fault detection software, and restoration software for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
A frequently occurring situation in an electric power system is the need to transmit more power over the system than it was originally designed for. In cases where there is a need to transmit more power, and building new transmission lines is prohibitive due to cost, right-of-way, or environmental constraints, increased utilization of existing transmission lines and equipment is desirable.
Furthermore, with increased distributed generation, the integration of distributed generators into existing power systems presents technical challenges such as voltage regulation, stability, power quality problems. Power quality is an essential customer-focused measure and is greatly affected by the operation of a distribution and transmission network.
Flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices may be one of the solutions to the above problems. FACTS devices are power electronic-based devices and are able to provide active and reactive power compensations to power systems. However, FACTS devices are costly and in present configurations, a fault on the FACTS device may result in a power outage to a significant number of customers.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for an improved power conversion system and method.